The Town of Sleeping Metal
by Jayie The Hufflepuff
Summary: When Castle and Beckett agreed to join the Doctor for just one trip, they never expected anything like the Town of Sleeping Metal. Sequel to A Murder Takes Manhattan, which you should probably read to get this. Season 5 Pre-Target and Hunt for Castle, and Season 7 Pre-Angels for Doctor Who.
1. The Alien Museum

When Detective Kate Beckett and partner Richard Castle followed the Doctor into the TARDIS, they looked around the interior in surprise. Not at the size – this was a familiar concept – but rather at the person inside. "Where's River?" Castle asked. The frizzy-haired woman who'd been with the Doctor mere minutes ago was now nowhere to be seen.

The Time Lord was focused on the console, but he looked up with a grin at Castle's question."She went back home," he explained. "Though I get the feeling we'll be seeing her again today."

"So!" He whirled around to face the partners, clasping his hands eagerly, a giant grin on his face. "All of time and space, anywhere and anywhen in the whole wide universe, and only one question; where do you want to go?"

The partners exchanged a short look before giving their answers.

"Alien planet."

"Earth's future."

They blinked at each other in surprise at the differing answers, missing the Doctor's bemused look. Castle asked his partner curiously, "Don't you want to see more aliens? I mean come on, there's gotta be some cool stuff out there." His mind was swimming with imagined scenes with strange creatures and breathtakingly beautiful worlds. He knew they were only getting one trip, and he wanted to make it count.

Beckett shrugged. "We already met aliens. I want to see what the human race does what itself. You know, what we end up accomplishing, what we make of ourselves." Though she acted indifferent, Castle could see the excitement boiling under the surface. She was just as eager to see the stars as he was.

After looking from one partner to the other in amused bewilderment, the Doctor have a sudden grin. "Well, let's compromise shall we?" He raced over to the console and began his manic dance around the controls. "I know just the place!"

Up went the switches. "A human colony..." Punching buttons. "...in the future..." Down went the lever. "...with aliens!"

A familiar tremor ran through the ship. Castle and Beckett hastily grabbed hold of the railing, only just keeping their footing as the ship shuddered into life. A loud _vworpp, vworpp_ rang through the console room.

The TARDIS gave a last, violent shudder before stilling. The ship had barely halted before the Doctor bounded over to the front door. He whirled to face Castle and Beckett with a huge, excited grin. "Detective, Castle," he paused dramatically before pushing open the doors behind him, I give you the human colony of Sariti, 28th century."

SCENEBREAK

Beckett had traveled through space in the TARDIS before. She had opened those doors to see one location having melted into another. An apartment replaced by a forest. A forest replaced by a yard. But she'd never been greeted by a sight like the one in front of her, or gotten the feeling of having traveled so very far away.

The sky was almost the right color, but there was a touch more purple in there than there should be. The pale outlines of two moons rested high in the sky. That alone was enough to tell her they were on another world.

Beckett stepped out, gaping in wonder around her. They had landed right in front of a huge building with pillars and arches. It looked like an old library or mausoleum, but it was made of a smooth metal. A holographic sign hung over the door which read, "The Earth and Related History Museum of Swametel." The message fizzed out a few moments later to be replaced with, "Now with a fresh new exhibit."

The Doctor blinked confusedly as he stepped out of the TARDIS. "Hmm, this definitely isn't the capital city." He glared briefly at the ship, as if it were at fault for the mislanding, before turning to look properly at the building. A wide grin broke over his face. "Ooo, a museum, I love a museum!"

Beckett shot the alien a side glare. "A museum? Really? All of time and space and you bring us to a museum?"

"Yep." At the detective's continued glare, he threw up his hands defensively. "What? Museums are cool!"

Beckett turned to share an exasperated look with her partner, only to see him gaping excitedly at the building before them. _Of course,_ she though wryly, _I forgot, he loves museums._

Seeing that she wasn't going to get any help from that quarter, the detective let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, fine. Museum it is then. But afterwards we get to see more of the town."

"Deal!" The Doctor said with an excited grin. He turned to stand before the detective and her partner. "First things first though. No wandering off." The Time Lord frowned, lost in thought. "Of course, I always tell them that, but they never listen."

Beckett rolled her eyes. "It's not me you have to worry about." She shot a quick side glare at her partner.

Castle tried and failed to hide a smirk. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

As they started walking, Beckett looped her arm through Castle's. "Oh, so then I guess I must have imagined every time I ever told you to stay in the car and you _didn't_."

Castle dipped his head grandly. "It's a tragedy, really, such a great mind lost to delusions." He let out an undignified yelp when Beckett smacked his arm, but he was laughing and so was she. They were really there. They were actually standing on an alien planet, in the future, so very far away from home. The giddiness was getting to both of their heads.

The Doctor just shook his head in amusement at the partners' banter. With a final laugh, Beckett turned back to their guide. "So where are we again?"

The Doctor bounded up the front stairs, turning back to face his entourage when they reached the top. "The town of Swametel on the planet Sariti in the year 2741. A few hundred years after your time. Sariti's one of many colonies of the great Earth Empire. Tiny little planet, but the cities are supposed to be gorgeous."

"Hmm, you mean the cities you skipped over?" Beckett asked teasingly.

"Yeah. In favor of a _museum_!" The Doctor emphasized passionately.

Beckett bit back another laugh at the Time Lord's indignant expression. "Well come on then, lead on." She and Castle fell into step behind the alien, arms linked comfortably, as they finally walked through the doors of the museum. She wasn't normally so openly happy around someone she'd just met, but the giddiness of being on an alien world, in the future, was getting to her.

This feeling was only strengthened as they pushed past the front doors and were swept up into the crowd inside. Beckett didn't even look at the exhibit for several moments, too caught up in the swarm of people that surrounded them. There were humans, but that familiar sight was evenly matched with aliens. Strange human-like creatures with bone-white skin, small red midgets with spiked skin, humanoid cats... so many strange and fantastic species thrown into the mix, walking around with humans as though it were all perfectly normal. It was almost surreal.

Beckett gave a small, breathless laugh. She felt Castle's hand grip hers more tightly, and on turning to look at him, saw the same wonder and bewilderment on his face. This time there was none of the fear or disbelief that they'd felt on first seeing the TARDIS. They knew the truth of the sight in front of them. Now they were appreciating the true triumph in it. Humans walking amongst aliens; no fighting, no segregation, no conquering.

There was something so hopeful in the way the crowd flawlessly mingled. She had nothing to go on beyond this initial sight, no knowledge of how the rest of the human race fared or how long this amiability would last, but just seeing it gave her a warm feeling in her chest. From this day forward, she would be able to push through each hard day at work and think it worth it, for it was all contributing to the future, to this future. That alone could make the hard times worth it.

The detective's gaze was finally drawn to the exhibits themselves. The walls were made entirely of glass, with words barely visible against the surface. The artifacts were lined up behind the glass, resting on what appeared to be a wide sheet of red velvet. The only section Beckett could see through the crowd looked to be pottery, but she felt herself getting excited about whatever alien artifacts they might encounter.

"Right," the Doctor said with a puppyish look of excitement, "Let's get going."

SCENEBREAK

The next few minutes were spent futilely attempting to push through the crowd to get close to the exhibits. Any time they seemed to make any headway, a new rush of patrons would crowd eagerly around the glass and cut the time travelers off. The Doctor let out a frustrated noise from the back of his throat. "Oh, this won't do."

Suddenly, the crowd parted abruptly to let a small, well-dressed group through. A short man with an impressively long mustache led them through, small eyes glaring out at the crowd. "VIP tour coming through, coming through now," he sniffed in a pinched tone. His wealthy entourage were able to sit back and view the exhibits without any interruption. Beckett's eyebrows flew up. She wasn't sure whether to feel impressed or irritated.

That's when she noticed the Doctor squeezing his way through the crowd to stand before the mustached man. The short man glared contemptuously up at the Time Lord. "VIP guests only, good sir," he said snidely.

The Doctor just beamed at him amiably. "Yes, VIP, that's us. Sorry to be late, got a little held up in traffic." Before the man could protest further, the Doctor held up a familiar leather wallet. "Look, see, VIP."

The man's demeanor changed instantly. His sneer melted into an exceedingly fake smile. "My apologies, good sir." He gave a slight bow before continuing on, parting the crowd to let the VIP group through.

As the partners managed to squeeze past the crowd and rejoin their guide, he turned to them with a wide grin. "Well that's sorted then."

Beckett frowned as it clicked in her head where she'd seen the wallet before. "Wait, isn't that River's police badge?" She asked curiously.

The Doctor nodded, handing her the wallet. Beckett blinked in surprise when she saw that it now displayed VIP passes for a Sir Doctor of Tardis, Kate Beckett, and Richard Castle. "It's psychic paper," the Doctor explained. "It tells people whatever I want them to see."

Beckett's eyebrows went up in surprise. "Good thing they don't have those back home," she commented as she turned over the wallet in her hands, "otherwise my job would be a lot harder."

She didn't even have to look at her partner to know what he was going to say. "And no, Castle, we are not getting psychic paper." When he opened his mouth to speak again she added, "Or a sonic screwdriver."

As Castle pouted, Beckett turned to look at the real VIPs. There was an elderly human couple, both dressed in extravagant Victorian clothing, the woman's neck practically drowning under all the pearls and diamonds. After listening a bit, Beckett was able to catch their names; Violet and Edgar Dowess. Then there was a young adult man with messy silver hair and yellow eyes shaped like a cat's, with slitted black pupils, wearing a tuxedo. He had introduced himself in a voice like a purr as Felix Karp. There were also three men who were about knee-height with blue skin and green eyes who identified as Ki, Twi, and Fi.

The last member of the party was of considerable more interest. She wore a long black dress with a full skirt that rustled against the ground, along with a black veil that concealed her face. When she spoke, it was with a soft British accent, but so far she'd given no indication as to who she was. Beckett couldn't even make out what she looked like past the veil, only that she was human height. She couldn't help but feel an itch of curiousity about the quiet, veiled figure. Who was she?

The Doctor seemed to notice her interest, for he explained in a low tone, "These are the museum's patrons. The museum needs money to buy and upkeep all these exhibits, and these guys support it. All the richest and finest in society, looking to show off their names. Hence the VIP status. The museum depends on their donations to stay open."

Beckett just nodded, feeling slightly uncomfortable. This was all a little rich for her blood. Everyone here was probably worth more than she could earn in ten years, and they all seemed to know it. But she wasn't here to mingle with society anyway, so she ignored them and turned her attention back to the exhibits.

They were currently standing in front of a wide glass display. Inside rested several old, rugged pieces of cloth armor. Dusty red caps were lined up neatly in front of the uniforms. "And here," mustache man, who was apparently the manager, Mr. Lewart, said with a sniff, "we have authentic uniforms of the old Earth organization known as Torchwood. They were a primitive association who's aim was to suppress alien rights on Earth."

Safely behind the rest of the group, the Doctor shook his head with a sigh. "Humans," he scoffed, "you lot can never remember anything right. Those uniforms belong to UNIT, not Torchwood, and they worked to protect humans from possible alien threats." The Doctor frowned. "Though the line was a bit blurry sometimes between 'protecting' and 'attacking.'"

They continued this way through the entire tour, Mr. Lewart providing a brief background on each piece which the Doctor then either supported, amended, or rewrote entirely. It was a little alarming just how many of the artifacts were things the Doctor had lost or left behind. Beckett and Castle listened to it all with fascination. The history of humans and aliens seemed to be tangled with endless agreements and conflicts and treaties. It was truly fascinating. This wasn't some dusty lecture about people long dead and gone; this was the future being written in front of them.

As they neared the end of their tour, Beckett tried to hide a grin as she admitted, "Alright, you were right, the museum was a good idea."

As Castle beamed smugly at her, the Doctor said, "See? Museums _are_ cool."

"It's like something out of Star Trek," Castle gushed.

Beckett felt that grin creeping over her face again. "Or Nebula 9." She ignored Castle's look of disgust and let the Doctor lead them onwards.

They finally came upon a closed-off wing of the museum. Mr. Lewart seemed to gain a bit more energy now, his sneer gaining pride. "Kind donors, I would like to give you the privilege of seeing our newest exhibit. It will be moved to the front by tomorrow morning, but for now we can see it completely undisturbed. Follow me."

He led the small group into a section completely empty of people. Curious, the Doctor and the partners followed him. They were being led to a thin platform in the middle of the room, where five strange metal things sat. They looked a bit worse for wear, scuff marks and dents scattered across the metal surface, and they sat there silent and unresponsive.

The donors crowded closer, looking very interested. "These contraptions are known as battle drones," Mr. Lewart provided proudly. "They were found by a team of archaeologists in Lake Swametel, only a few minutes from here. No one knows where they came from, but they appear to have been used in battle as weapons."

_In other words, you have absolutely no idea what they are,_ Beckett translated drily. Quietly she asked their oddball guide, "So what the story behind these then?"

When no answer was forthcoming, Beckett took a closer look at the Doctor. The Time Lord had gone rigid, fists slowly unclenching, but more alarming was his expression. It was like nothing Beckett had seen on him before. Usually he wore a goofy grin akin to Castle's, but he'd been caring for the Karrows, quietly sad for the dying Fatorin, and had shown horrible guilt and sympathy for the wyvern. She'd seen him in agony as he was hit by wave after wave of memories and full of self-loathing in that day in the kitchen. But this was different. A fierce light blazed in his eyes, and his jaw was set in a determined way. This wasn't anger or pity or the understanding of a broken man; this was _hatred_, pure and raw, and enough to terrify the detective.

Castle too must have read the Time Lord's expression, for he gently pressed, "Doctor? What are they?"

Without taking his eyes off the metal things, the Doctor let out a slow breath. "They're called Daleks," he said in a hard voice, "And they should not be here."

* * *

So here's my sequel to A Murder Takes Manhattan. Yes, I said it was going to be a while before the sequek and that I'd work on other stuff first and that it's only been a few days, but what can I say, I got impatient. So I decided to do both future and alien, so I did an Earth colony. I did a bit of research on a Doctor Who wiki to get as much information right as I could, but as I said at the top, I've never seen Classic Who, so if anything here contradicts it, I'm sorry. My excuse is... time can be rewritten and history is constantly changing? Yeah, that works.


	2. The Veiled Woman

"Daleks?"

The Doctor didn't respond, which left Castle to wonder in silence. Hadn't he heard that word before?

It was Beckett who remembered first. Her eyes softened with sudden sympathy. "Didn't you say the Daleks were the race your people were fighting?" Castle's mind was thrown back to that day in the kitchen, when the Doctor's mask had slipped and he'd shown the true despair underneath. It wasn't despair on his face now though; it was hatred deeper than anything he'd seen on the Time Lord's face before. And that was terrifying. If the Doctor could destroy an entire species he felt so guilty over and defeat a wyvern he felt compassion for, what could he do to someone he hated

The Doctor took a few moments to answer, but when he did it was in a hardened tone. "Yes. They fought in the Time War. And I have fought them many, many times before and since." He let out a slow breath, evidently trying to calm himself down. "Daleks call themselves the 'pest control' of the universe. They will kill anything that isn't Dalek just for being different. There's nothing else to them but hate and killing." He looked down slightly, voice edged with pain. "There are times I almost thought it was worth it. All of it. Burning down Gallifrey, the loss of the Time Lords. There are times I thought that all of that was worth it if I could have just ridded the universe of the Daleks. But they keep coming back, always stronger, always killing, and I keep having to fight them while my people are still lost."

Castle felt a rush of sympathy for the Time Lord. The mask had slipped again, and the broken man was letting them see his pain. He asked quietly, taking care that there was no accusation in his tone, "And you said they have no drive other than to kill?"

The Time Lord nodded dully. "Their orders are to wipe out anyone who isn't Dalek, and they're nothing if not the perfect soldier." Hatred was tempered with disgust as he glared at the motionless metal form. "All that death in the name of the superior Dalek race."

The writer felt a shudder run through him at those words. He'd faced criminals like that before– people who killed for the pleasure of it, for no reason other than the thrill it gave them. He'd sat in interrogation rooms across from psychos and cold-blooded killers. But to have to face an entire race of them, over and over…

Castle and Beckett shared a quick look. The Time Lord was losing his grip again; something had to be done. Beckett quickly took over the situation. "Alright. You said they're not supposed to be here. What did you mean? Are they dangerous like this?"

The Doctor seemed to snap out of his hateful trance, looking at Beckett and Castle for the first time since spying the Daleks. "I don't know. But I do know that it's nearly impossible to kill a Dalek." With that cryptic message he pushed rudely past the donors, ignoring their indignant cries and mutters, and whipped out his sonic screwdriver to scan the dormant Daleks.

The screwdriver had barely began it's _whirring_ when Mr. Lewart hurried over to the Time Lord and cried shrilly, "Excuse me sir, no electronic devices allowed in the exhibits!" He reached to snatch the sonic screwdriver out of the Time Lord's grasp, but the Doctor stepped back carelessly.

His glare was still fixed on the Daleks, but a quick look down at his sonic screwdriver seemed to take the fight out of him. He gave the Daleks a last glare before turning and nodding stiffly to Mr. Lewart. "Apologies," he muttered. With a last, sweeping glance, he paused to straighten his bow-tie before turning towards the door. "Come along Beckett, Castle," he said in a low voice. Neither partner fully understood what had just happened, but they followed their guide without a word.

SCENEBREAK

The Doctor still seemed rather out of sorts as they navigated through the crowd, but his cheerful energy returned with alarming speed the moment they stepped outside. "Right, that's that sorted then," he said brightly. "So, off to town for a bit, then back home, hmm?"

Beckett and Castle blinked at him in surprise, sharing a baffled glance. The writer turned back to the Time Lord. "What, so that's it?"

The alien gave an unconvincing look of innocence. "Of course it is, what do you mean?"

Beckett narrowed her eyes suspiciously. The Doctor was clearly hiding something, and she had a feeling it was because he didn't want to put her and Castle in danger. That was more than a little irritating. "Doctor, something happened in there, and we deserve to know what." When the Doctor hesitated, she pushed in a firm tone, "Castle and I knew what we were signing up for when we came on this trip. It's not your job to shelter us."

Sadness flickered in the Time Lord's eyes. "They all say that," he said quietly.

"Then losing them wasn't your fault," Castle stated firmly.

Beckett added, "I'm a trained cop and Castle has worked with me for four years. We've been in dangerous situations before, and we know how to handle ourselves. We're not some wide-eyed civilians you can push off to the side."

"You picked us to be your partners on this," Castle reminded the Time Lord with an encouraging smile. "Partners work together."

The Doctor looked from one human to the other for a moment, looking almost sheepish. He hesitated a few moments before finally sighing, "Oh, alright, fine then."

He pulled out his sonic screwdriver out for Castle and Beckett to see. "I only got a quick scan of the Daleks, but I couldn't pick up any signs of life." He frowned thoughtfully. "But it was just a quick scan. And I just can't see why any Dalek would leave behind their suit like that."

Castle's brow furrowed. "Suit?"

The Doctor waved his hand dismissively as he explained, "The metal's just a suit they wear, the real Dalek is a little mutant thing riding around inside. The suits were damaged but not destroyed. So why couldn't I read any sign of Daleks inside?"

Before Castle or Beckett could answer, a new voice spoke behind them. "Pardon me, but are you the Doctor?"

The three travelers whirled around to see the source of the interruption. The veiled woman from the VIP group stood behind them, expression hidden behind the veil. The earlier softness of her voice had been replaced by a harder accent, gaining more confidence.

The Doctor nodded. "Erm, yes, that's me. Why?"

The woman seemed to relax slightly, the stiffness in her posture melting away. "Good. Follow me." Without any further explanation, she turned and began to walk away. The Doctor looked puzzled for a moment, but then shrugged and started off after the woman.

Beckett blinked in surprise. _Wait, are we actually following her?_ After a few moments of stunned silence, the two partners hurried to catch up with their guide. When they reached him, Castle asked in a low voice, "So, just so we're clear, we're actually following the creepy veiled lady just 'cause she said so?"

"Yep!" The Doctor replied brightly.

It took him several moments to realize that Beckett and Castle were staring at him incredulously. His brow furrowed. "What?" As they continued to stare at him, he defended himself lamely, "Well she's not armed." He waved his sonic screwdriver to make his point.

Beckett's voice was edged with sarcasm. "And what happens if the veiled mystery woman is leading us into a trap?"

"Then we'll get out of it," the Doctor explained dismissively. "I'm rather good at that."

The detective shared a baffled look with her partner, but in the end they followed the Doctor.

They were centuries and galaxies from home. What other choice did they have?

SCENEBREAK

The woman led them to another building in walking distance. Once you got past the museum, the town around it was really quite small. She didn't seem at all worried about her dress trailing against the ground and collecting dirt; her gait was brisk, and she didn't stop to answer any of her entourage's questions.

When they reached their destination, Beckett looked at the building's sign in surprise. "Police Station?" she repeated dubiously.

"That's right." She jumped a little when the veiled woman spoke again. The woman pushed through the doors, leaving the travelers to follow, before turning back to face them and pushing the veil back. Beckett and Castle started slightly in surprise at the sight of her face. It was a humanoid face, but was covered completely with green and pale brown scales, giving her a uniquely reptilian look, along with the crest. Her pale blue eyes scanned the travelers, balancing interest with wariness.

The Doctor broke out into a huge grin. "You're a Silurian!"

The reptilian woman nodded and smiled, her manner easily becoming friendly. She reached out a hand, which the Doctor shook eagerly. "I'm Tara, Sheriff of Swametel," she said in a clear, confident tone. The Silurian turned her attention to Castle, then to Beckett, giving her hand a surprisingly firm shake, before turning back to the Doctor. "It's an honor to meet you, Doctor. I've heard so many stories."

The Doctor looked interested. "Stories? What stories? Good ones, I hope?"

Tara chuckled. "I'd say a mix. But they say you only show up when there's trouble, and I think I might know what's up."

Beckett studied the sheriff coolly. After a few moments she asked, "Are we being arrested?"

The Silurian turned to her, eyes sharp with intelligence as she appraised the detective. She seemed to approve, for she gave the detective a familiar grin. "No. You're being consulted."

SCENEBREAK

"Sorry about the disguise," Tara apologized as she shed the heavy black dress, revealing a black leather jacket and dark pants underneath. She seemed far more comfortable in this casual clothing, leaning back easily in a chair across from the three travelers. "I was there to try and figure out how much the donors knew about the exhibit, and I wanted a closer look myself, but I'm not exactly from the higher social circles. I didn't need anyone causing problems if they recognized me."

"Why did you think investigating was needed in the first place?" The Doctor asked curiously.

Tara leaned forward, her manner instantly becoming more professional. "The metal creatures were dug up four weeks ago by a small team of archaeologists. They turned over their findings to the team at the museum, but something's wrong. The paperwork went through too fast; it should have taken way longer to get everything approved and thoroughly investigated. You heard old Lewart, he barely had a clue what those things were. I started looking into it, and I'm pretty sure Lewart hurried along the process just to get those things on display. Some signatures looked forged, and a few steps were missing entirely."

"Why would he do that?" Castle asked.

"The museum hasn't had a fresh exhibit in a few years," Tara explained. "They've been getting very tight on money. I'm guessing Lewart jumped on the first chance to get some income for the place."

Castle looked thoughtful, leaning back in his chair. "So maybe those scientists found something dangerous about the find," he mused, "but Lewart covered it up so he could get the exhibit on display."

"Or maybe he just skipped that part entirely and has no idea whether they're safe or not," Beckett countered. "Either way, the Daleks haven't been properly examined. They could still be dangerous." She turned to the Doctor. "But you said you didn't pick anything up on the sonic screwdriver?"

The Doctor shrugged. "I didn't pick up any signs of life, but that doesn't mean there weren't any. I only got a quick scan, and there are ways to cloak yourself. They could still be in there, but what I don't get is _why_. Why would they hide in a museum?"

"Well, you seem to know what they are, so what is it they want?" Tara asked. "Maybe there's something of value or use in that museum that they're after."

The Doctor shook his head. "Daleks have no concept of value," he said in a low voice. "All they care about is exterminating every race that isn't Dalek."

"There's only five of them," Beckett pointed out. "Maybe they're waiting for back-up before attacking?"

There wasn't a lot that could scare the detective, but the bleak, sad look on the Doctor's face sent a sudden chill down her spine. In a solemn voice he told her, "One Dalek would be enough to burn this town to the ground and come back for more. Five could take down the planet. They don't need back-up."

A few moments of silence passed, everyone wrapped up in individual thought. Finally, Castle broke the silence. "Alright. So what we know for sure is that the Dalek suits are in the museum, and there may or may not be living Daleks inside. There are either two reasons they would be there; One, to hide from something. They could be running from something, or just waiting for an opportunity, for what, we don't know. Two, they could be too weak to attack."

The Doctor looked uncertain, fiddling anxiously with his bow-tie. "Hard to say. The suits didn't look too damaged, but they could have been mended for the exhibit, and if something happened to their guns they'd be defenseless."

Tara looked troubled. "I had heard of Daleks, but I hadn't realized they were the creatures in the museum," she said with a frown. "Their hatred and skill in killing has been told in many stories."

The Doctor sighed sadly. "They've killed so many in their time."

Tara's sharp gaze shifted to the Doctor. "You've defeated them before. Will you help now?"

He nodded immediately. "Of course. But I'll need to get a closer look at the Daleks."

Tara grinned conspiritaly, surprising Beckett with her easy manner. "Oh, I can get you in, no problem. I've got a judge that owes me a favor; I'll have a warrant by tonight."

The Doctor frowned impatiently. "Can't we get in sooner?"

Beckett shot the Doctor a glare. "He means thank you," she informed the sheriff.

The Silurian chuckled. "Not a problem." She turned back to the Time Lord. "It's probably better we go in at night anyway. There won't be any people there, and we'll be able to get a proper look at the exhibit."

The Doctor hesistated, then finally nodded, resigned. "Fine. We'll wait until tonight."

SCENEBREAK

The Doctor turned out to be not very good at waiting. In the next few hours he alternated between chatting eagerly with the Silurian, examining the entire police station, and pacing. Beckett and Castle tried to talk to him, but he was still on edge about the Daleks, so they soon gave it up.

Instead, Beckett found herself talking to Tara. The Silurian was looking at her with interest, her pale blue gaze unwavering. "I have often heard the Doctor traveled with a human companion, but you two don't seem like wide-eye stargazers. So who are you?"

Beckett found herself liking the Silurian. She was clearly dedicated to her job, and she was smart enough to interrogate the travelers before trusting them. "Detective Kate Beckett, and he's Richard Castle." The man in question was off playing with some futuristic bit of tech. Beckett rolled her eyes at his child-like glee.

Understanding flashed in Tara's eyes. "Ah, a cop huh?" She grinned. "Glad to know I've got another cop at my side, it's been too long since I've had anyone else to work with. What kind of detective?"

Beckett couldn't help but return Tara's grin. The Silurian's friendly manner was infectious. "Homicide."

The Silurian's pale eyes flickered with sadness. "I've dealt with a few deaths before, but thankfully that is only a small part of my job here. Swametel's a small town, not too many murders here." She tilted her head slightly, studying the detective. "What made you want to be a detective? It can't have been an easy decision."

Beckett's good mood faded, replaced by the familiar ache in her chest. Most other people she would have brushed off, but Tara needed to trust them for this to work, and she had an air of being easy to talk to. With a weak sort of smile, Beckett looked down at her hands. "I lost someone," she admitted. "My mom."

Tara's eyes widened, the familiar sympathy and pity playing on her features. "I'm sorry," she said, something Beckett had already heard far too many times. Then she added something unexpected. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."

Beckett blinked in surprise. "Not a problem," she echoed the Silurian's earlier response, earning a smile from the alien. Eager to get the subject off of her, she asked, "What about you? How'd you get to be sheriff?"

Tara sat back, a reminiscent light in her eyes. "Well, I grew up around here, kinda raised by the town, never knew who my parents were. The sheriff at the time took me in." She smiled warmly at the memory, continuing wistfully, "He was a great man, a human colonist from Earth. He taught me everything I know. It just felt right to take over when he died."

Beckett felt a tug of envy over the sheriff's more cheerful story, but pushed it back. She went to change the subject again. "How do you know so much about the Doctor?" she asked curiously. She'd shared the Doctor's memories mere hours before, so she'd seen how much he'd impacted the universe, but associating the funny man in the bow-tie with a creature of legend was still hard.

Tara's eyes took on a far-away look. "Oh, the Doctor stories were always my favorite. The man who swoops in from nowhere and saves the world. The one who can send whole fleets running at the drop of his name." She shot Beckett a side glance. "The Daleks have a name for him; the Oncoming Storm."

Beckett felt a slight shudder at the name. She had already chosen to forgive the Doctor for the destruction of his planet, but the title had a ring of doom around it. There had to be so many out there who hated the Doctor. The wyvern had only been the beginning. The Daleks sounded like they were terrified of him. The Oncoming Storm sounded like a vengeful god, not a goofy man with a bow-tie.

All she said aloud was, "I hope they won't get the chance to call him that."

Tara made a small sound of agreement. A comfortable silence fell, only to be broken when the Silurian asked curiously, "That man, is he your boyfriend?"  
Surprised, Beckett followed her gaze to see her looking at Castle. The familiar lie jumped to the front of her mind, but there was no reason to lie here. It wasn't like she was ever going to talk to Gates. Finally, she settled with a simple, "He's my partner."

The sheriff looked surprised. "Really?" She gave the man another sweeping glance, frowning slightly as she said, "He doesn't look like a cop."

Beckett smiled fondly. "He's not. He's a writer." At the Silurian's baffled look, she explained, "At first he was just following me as research for his books, but that was four years ago. He's my partner now. I have his back and he has mine."

Tara smiled a little wistfully. "Sounds great. Wish I had someone to work with me here, but no one around here's exactly aspiring to be a cop." The Silurian stood, giving Beckett a quick smile. "I better go check on that warrant. It was nice talking with you, Detective Beckett."

As the sheriff walked away, Beckett was left wondering how one lone sheriff and three time travelers were supposed to deal with the Daleks.

* * *

Yay, another chapter out. I really like the Silurians, especially Madam Vastra, so I felt the need to include one in my story. If Tara seems different from other Silurians shown, that's because she was raised by a human in a mixed culture. Next chapter will involve their search of the museum - and of the Daleks. Dun dun dun. Sorry if the last line seems rushed, I ran out of ideas. Next chapter might not come until Monday, 'cause I'll be spending the weekend at my top choice college. :) After this visit, I'm making my final decision. So basically pressure, lots of pressure. Fun stuff.


	3. Five Daleks Are We

"Sheriff, this is taking things entirely too far!"

Lewart's shrill protests echoed loudly through the hall. Sheriff Tara ignored him as she strode towards the far end of the museum, where the Dalek exhibit was kept.

The manager had been meeting with his donors, discussing the new exhibit and further donations, when the sheriff and the travelers had arrived with their warrant. The donors were currently trailing behind the small group, varying between curiosity, vain interest, and annoyance at being interrupted.

The manager stepped into the Silurian's path, hands held up imploringly. "Listen, can we at least do this in private? You don't need to go waving your warrant around in anybody else's face." He shot the donors a meaningful glance, and Beckett felt a surge of anger. He was more worried about the reaction from the donors than the danger posed by the Daleks.

Tara looked angry too. She opened her mouth to retort, but Beckett cut her off, recognizing that arguing with Lewart wasn't going to do anyone any favors. "You're right, we don't all need to go in. I'm going to wander for a bit. Anyone want to join me?" She would have made it an order, but as she kept having to remind herself, she didn't have any authority here.

Violet Dowess shook her head profusely, curiosity gleaming in her beady eyes, but her husband accepted, as did Felix Karp and Twi. Beckett gave the manager an apologetic shrug, then turned and led the small group out towards the front lobby.

Once they were out of hearing range, Felix Karp appeared almost silently at her side. "You didn't have to do that," he said in a voice smoother than any human voice could be. "Whatever Lewart has done, it will all come to light one way or another, our being there or not won't make the least bit of difference. The press has a nose for this sort of thing."

Beckett was surprised at the young man's shrewdness. His amber eyes stared unblinkingly at her, pupils wider in the darkness of the museum, expression patient and interested. "It wasn't about covering Lewart from gossip, it was about getting him to stop complaining," she admitted.

Amusement flashed in the man's cat-like eyes. "He was being rather loud, wasn't he?" He let out a low chuckle. "Impressive, Ms. Beckett."

Pushing back the instinct to correct him with "_Detective_ Beckett, she smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Mr. Karp."

"Please, call me Felix," the man insisted with a smile.

Beckett held back a smirk. "Will do."

They headed out past the front doors to the front of the museum, where the TARDIS was parked only a few yards away. The brisk night air felt refreshing after the stuffy interior of the museum. Felix narrowed his eyes to amber slits when the chilly air wrapped around them, a low noise like a purr rumbling in the back of his throat. "Mmm, that's better," he commented lightly.

Beckett was getting a little uncomfortable with the silence, and the man's almost cat-like behavior. If it were anyone else, she would have said he was flirting with her, but the cat-like behavior made her think this was probably just how he acted. After fishing a bit for a topic, she asked, "So what made you want to donate to the museum?"

Felix opened his eyes again, fixing Beckett with an unblinking amber gaze once again. With amusement, he answered, "There's no need to sound so nervous, Ms. Beckett." His gaze slid over to where Twi and Edward Dowess stood talking, Twi speaking rapidly about something, the human listening in silence with an occasional nod. "There are two ways to be rich in this town – to make yourself that way through business, or to come from a wealthy family. Twi there runs a big corporation with Fi and Ki, but Dowess and I come from money. It's all about society and who you're seen with. My family has to be seen going to the right events and shaking the right hands." He'd sounded almost bored explaining it, but a warm smile graced his lips as he added, "Besides, I've always had a fondness for the museum."

Beckett fought to push back the sudden sensation of distaste. The complicated dance and manipulation of celebrity status had never had any appeal to her. She'd dealt with enough celebrity murders and unhelpful witnesses to see just how much you had to lie and undercut to lead that kind of life, and she never wanted to be that kind of person.

Felix seemed to notice her discomfort, for he gave a rueful smile. "We must seem so foolish to you," he commented quietly.

Beckett gave him a sharp glance, surprised he had voiced her thoughts. She hesitated over an answer, wanting to be honest yet not offensive, but Felix beat her to it. "I'm sorry if I've taken up your time, ma'am." With a final bow, he turned and padded away to where Ki and Dowess stood, leaving Beckett blinking in surprise at the turn their conversation had taken.

SCENEBREAK

Castle followed the Doctor, Tara, and Lewart as they headed toward the Dalek exhibit, with Fi, Ki, and Violet Dowess trailing along behind. Lewart's screeching complaints had lessened since Beckett took half of the donors away, but he still seemed to feel the need to insist every five minutes that their trip was pointless, that nothing was wrong with the exhibit. The writer was about ready to gag the man, and from the irritated glares Tara kept shooting him, she felt the same.

Castle sped up so that he was walking beside the sheriff. In a low voice he muttered, "Does that guy ever shut up?"

Tara chuckled quietly. "As long as I've known him, no."

"And how long is that?" Castle asked curiously.

"Since he took over the place nine years ago." She let out an exasperated sigh. "He's had some shady dealings in the past, so I've been keeping an eye on him, but nothing ever seemed off until now."

"Right," Castle said with distaste, "The only thing he's been guilty of is being a greedy, annoying twat."

Tara laughed, causing Lewart to glare at her from his spot at the back of the group. "That about sums it up."

They finally reached the section of the museum where the Dalek exhibit was kept. Lewart made one last attempt to intervene; "Really Sheriff, I _must_ insist -"

Tara pushed past him with an annoyed hiss. "Insist all you want, Lewart, I've got a warrant." She strode confidently into the Dalek exhibit, ready to ignore Lewart further and investigate the Daleks.

Only they weren't there.

The pedestal where the metal creatures had been resting was empty, leaving five faint imprints in the red velvet. Castle froze, wondering what could have happened, but when the Doctor walked in and saw the lack of Daleks, all he could think about what the look of terror that had flashed on the Time Lord's face. A creature that the Doctor hated had to be terrible indeed, but one that he _feared_, he who had destroyed an entire race, had to be something truly horrible.

For once, Mr. Lewart seemed at a loss for words. He gaped stupidly at the empty exhibit, mouth opening and closing a few times before he sputtered out, "Whu-what?"

The remaining donors crowded eagerly around the empty pedastal. Violet Dowess's watery gray eyes sharpened with interest. She let out a hoarse laugh. "Ooo, not very smart of you, Lewart, losing a whole exhibit." Castle got the feeling she'd be eagerly gossiping about it over some fancy dinner the first chance she got.

The Doctor burst into action, rushing up to the pedestal, sonic screwdriver scanning the entirety of the velvet surface. He held it up to look at it, eyes hardening at what he saw. "They've been gone a few hours."

Tara looked worried. "How can that be?" She turned to Lewart and the donors and said, "You lot were all here, wouldn't you have heard them go by?"

Fi and Ki shared a baffled look. "Heard what?" Ki asked, confused.

By now, Lewart had regained enough of his wits to interrupt Castle's explanation. "Nothing! Nothing's been lost, simply, ah, moved. Yes, yes, it's been moved, that's all." His gaze flickered meaningfully to his donors.

The Doctor began pacing with nervous energy, hands wringing as he began thinking aloud. "So the Daleks are alive, and they've had a few hours to scuttle off wherever they want. But why? Why, why, what were they after?"

"Are you saying those metal things are alive?" Fi asked incredulously.

A flicker of worry appeared in Violet's eyes, but Lewart was still trying to pass it all off as nothing. "I'm telling you," he huffed indignantly, "they've just been moved, that's all!"

The Doctor waved a dismissive hand. "No talking, trying to think." His pacing gained speed as he babbled at rapid- fire speed, "So, Daleks Daleks Daleks, in the museum, hiding away, then they leave, why?"

Castle's blood froze as a new thought entered his head. "Beckett," he breathed. "She doesn't know."

Fear flashed in the Doctor's eyes, but it only lasted a moment. "We need to find her," the Time Lord ordered. "Did she say where she was going?"

Castle shook his head. "Uh, no, she just said she was gonna wander."

The Doctor frowned for a moment before snapping his fingers, inspired. "Security cameras." He turned to Lewart. "Is there a surveillance room?" he asked urgently.

The manager's face was slowly turning tomato red. "Now listen, I don't know what you're playing at-"

The Doctor lost patience. He grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt, he pulled his face close and repeated, "Sureveillance room, where, now!"

Lewart sputtered uncomfortably. "Th-three hallways down, three lefts and a right."

Castle was out in the hallway before the Doctor even released Lewart, hurrying down the path he had indicated.

_Where are you, Kate?_

SCENEBREAK

"YOU WILL COME WITH US!"

Beckett didn't recognize the voice that had sounded behind them, but the inhuman screech had made her freeze up immediately, hand reaching automatically for the gun that was no longer there. Silently cursing the Doctor's anti-gun sentiments, she slowly turned to face the new arrival.

Beckett's initial impression of the Daleks had been that they looked a bit like oversized pepper pots, with whisk-like things for guns, and a plunger. A truly ridiculous set-up. But there was nothing ridiculous about the Dalek pointing its gun at the small group, or the angry screech of, "THE PRIS-O-NERS WILL FOLLOW OR-DERS!"

Beckett froze, slowly raising her hands over her head, showing the Dalek that she was unarmed. Without glancing at the donors, she ordered firmly, "Do as it says."

Felix complied, looking confused, but Twi and Edward Dowess just blinked curiously at the metal creature. "Good lord," Edward Dowess remarked in a posh British accent, "Is that thing still active?" He clearly thought it was the mindless battle drone Lewart had described earlier.

Without taking her gaze off the Dalek, she corrected him in a sharper tone, "It's not active, it's alive, and it will kill you if you don't obey. Hands up Dowess."

Looking puzzled, the old man slowly obeyed, along with Twi.

The Dalek advanced threateningly, waving the gun slightly. "MOVE! MO-OVE!" it screamed.

Without taking her eyes off it, Beckett slowly backed away where directed, soon joining the rest of the small group. Felix was confused but calmly obeying the Dalek's orders, but Twi and Edward Dowess still seemed dubious. Beckett shot them both a quick side glare, warning them not to try anything stupid.

If the Daleks were as horrible as the Doctor seemed to think, then it was her job to get everyone out of this alive, and she had her work cut out for her.

SCENEBREAK

When they reached the surveillance room, the Doctor hurried to the controls, whipping his sonic screwdriver out and scanning everything. Half of the cameras weren't even on, but it only took a few seconds to get them on. What he saw when he did made his blood freeze.

A Dalek was being shown by the camera recording the outside of the museum. The creature looked a little worse for wear, the smooth metal surface scratched and dented, but it was definitely alive. The eyestalk was aimed directly at the camera, that cold blue eye staring straight at him. "DOC-TOR."

Tara let out a small gasp. "It knows we're here."

"It reversed the speakers that play music outside," the Doctor realized quietly. "What we're saying in here is projecting out there." He leaned casually towards the screen, a small, taunting smile in his lips, even as he fought to cover the dread he felt in his gut. The Time Lord felt a grim sort of resignation - this had always been coming. No matter how many times he faced the Daleks, they always came back for more. _Hello Dalek._

He clasped his hands, giving the Dalek a wide grin. "Oh, hello there! I see you lot decided to wake up and join the party." It was same old routine, the same old bravado, the goofy grin, the disarming childishness. It helped to cover up the ice he felt in his hearts when he thought about how he'd dragged yet more people into his endless fight with the Daleks.

The mutant in question, as usual, ignored his flippant words. The eyestalk shifted, lending to the general air of agitation. There was something off about this Dalek. There was almost an air of nervousness about it, something twitchy in its movements.

"THE DOC-TOR WILL OBEY OR-DERS!" the Dalek ordered in that grating screech, lights flashing insistently.

"Oh, that's no fun," the Doctor drawled. "Never was one for following orders, me. So, what's got the Daleks all rattled, eh?" He leaned forward slightly, the image of amiability, that same taunting smirk on his lips. "What's got you lot hiding away in a museum playing dead? Hmm?"

The Dalek's movements became even more agitated, shuffling back and forth at greater speed. "YOU WILL NOT ASK QUE-STIONS!" it screamed.

The Doctor gave a cold chuckle. "Oh, but I've got a gob, me, and I just can't help wondering, how'd you five get stuck here alone? Where's the rest of your fleet?"

"THE DOC-TOR WILL NOT ASK QUES-TIONS!" the Dalek screeched. "O-BEY!"

"Obey what?" the Doctor asked impatiently. "What do you want?"

"A SHIP! YOU WILL FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS!"

The Doctor's brow furrowed. "A ship?" he asked incredulously. "What do you need a ship for? You must have come here by ship. Well, maybe it got damaged. But why not just repair it?"

"YOU WILL NOT ASK QUE-STIONS!" The Dalek's scream had increased in volume. "FIND A SHIP OR YOUR COM-PAN-ION WILL DIE!"

The Doctor's thoughts flew immediately to Amy or Rory, his hearts going cold with dread, before he remembered that they weren't with him anymore. _Just as well,_ he thought dully, _if they were here, they'd be the ones in danger. That's why you left them behind._

His eyes widened when they realized who they meant, and judging by the look of horror on Castle's face, so had he. _Beckett_.

The Time Lord fought to keep his expression in the same neutral expression; the Daleks may not be able to see them, but Castle could, and he didn't need to scare the human more than he already was. If they had Beckett, that meant they had the rest of the donors. "Hostages? That's not very Dalek of you."

The Dalek didn't seem to like the change in subject. "FIND A SHIP! YOU-MUST FIND A SHIP!"

"Yeah, sure fine, we'll get you a ship, pack you all up and ready to go," the Doctor agreed pleasantly. "But first," he added, voice suddenly ice cold, "you prove that she's still alive."

The Dalek was still for a few moments before letting out a small, "FINE." Offscreen, another Dalek was screaming, "THE PRIS-O-NERS WILL MOVE! MO-OVE!"

Slowly, the small group that had left earlier came into frame, Beckett looking cool and collected, Felix Karp looking confused, and Twi and Edward Dowess simply looking bored and bemused.

The Doctor felt a rush of relief to see Detective Beckett alive and unharmed, only to freeze again when an indignant shriek sounded behind him. "That's my husband!" Violet Dowess swept towards the monitor, eyes narrowed and lips pressed tight with displeasure. "What do you think you're playing at? Release him at once!"

The Doctor turned to the woman. "Mrs. Dowess, shut it," he warned quietly.

As usual, the human paid no attention. They never seemed to - it was like all humans were determined to ignore his clever, life-saving advice. Or maybe he just had one of those face no one listened to (again.) "Now look here!" she huffed, turning a fierce glare on the Time Lord. "You've been nothing but trouble from the start, young man. You're the one who started this whole nonsense, so you better call your little attack dogs off Doctor, before I call the authorities!"

Before the Doctor could scramble to defend himself, the Dalek on the screen let out an agitated screech. "WE DO NOT ANSWER TO THE DOC-TOR! THE DALEKS ARE SUPE-RIOR!" The creature turned angrily on the hostages, who froze, hands still over their heads.

The Doctor recognized the danger of the situation immediately. "No ones saying that, right? You're the ones with the guns," he said quickly, trying to appease them. There was definitely something off about these Daleks; anything could set them off.

"THE DOC-TOR WILL OBEY! O-BEY! O-BEY!" The Dalek was almost trembling now, the head waving from side to side. Before the Doctor could try to placate them again, the Dalek's gun whipped around to aim at Edward Dowess. "THE HUMAN FEMALE WILL BE SI-LENT!"

As the hostages hurried to get out of range, a gunshot rang out. Violet Dowess let out a shriek, but it wasn't her husband who staggered to the ground.

Fi and Ki let out identical gasps as they watched the screen. "Twi!"

The short blue man had fallen to the ground, and all the Doctor could think was _There's someone else I couldn't save_.

Then a shaky moan sounded from the screen, followed by a stunned, "He's alive!" from Felix.

The Doctor wasn't an easy man to surprise. He'd seen so much in his thousand years of travel through time and space. Things that should have been impossible, things that had never even occurred to him, and things that just plain contradicted everything the universe had taught him. But seeing someone survive a shot from a Dalek gun, at point-blank range, was enough to throw the Time Lord for a loop.

The Dalek was quick to point its gun back at Edward Dowess, but at that point Beckett had stepped protectively in front of him and the fallen Twi, arms spread wide in a defensive stance. Castle let out a worried cry of "Beckett!" but the Doctor silenced him with a look.

In a low, calm tone, Beckett slowly told the Dalek, "There's no need to kill anyone here. The Doctor will do what you say, and we won't cause any problems. No one has to die."

The Dalek shuffled uncertainly for a few moments before turning back to the camera. "FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS, OR THE COM-PAN-IONS DIE!" With that, the screen shorted out. Message over, apparently.

The Doctor took a moment to lean over the screen and compose himself before turning back to the donors. He had to work to hide the mixture of fear for the people he had put in danger and the hatred he felt for those who had taken them. None of it would reassure the people he needed to work with now.

Lewart was gaping idiotically at the screen, his previously beet-red face paling to white. Violet Dowess had clutched desperately at the manager's shoulder when her husband had appeared to be shot, and was now staring with a lingering look of horror at the empty screen. Fi and Ki looked caught between confusion, disbelief, and fear. Tara looked horrified and sympathetic.

It was Castle's expression that worried the Doctor. He'd previously only seen the writer cheerful or determined, or even sad over the death of the wyvern. But now his expression was like stone, only his eyes betraying the terrible fear he felt. That wasn't the look of a goofy writer. That was the look of someone who would do anything to protect his partner. Of someone who might do something incredibly stupid.

Ignoring the donors, the Doctor came to stand before Castle and put both hands on his shoulders. The writer seemed surprised at the contact, but the Doctor pushed past that and insisted in a low tone, "Castle, we're going up get Beckett out of this. We _can_ save her, and she's going to be fine, but you're going to have to trust me." The Doctor needed Castle's trust for this to work. Only hours before he'd seen the man's thoughts and memories, and he knew that if Castle didn't think him capable of saving Beckett, then he'd take things into his own hands. And that could only end badly.

The hardness melted from Castle's face for a moment, fear and desperation blazing in his eyes. The Doctor was hit with the memory of seeing Castle's mind and feeling his love for Beckett. He would truly travel the universe and back for that woman and fight anyone who got in his way.

All of his companions had meant a lot to him, but had there ever been anyone who he'd have done that for? _Rose_, his mind supplied immediately. He almost added River to that list, but he'd already seen her death, he reminded himself bitterly, and he'd done absolutely nothing to stop it. Not nearly enough.

After a few moments, Castle gave a firm nod. "All right," he said quietly.

The Doctor turned back to the donors, serious as he rarely was. He'd just made a serious promise, and he'd be damned if any Daleks would let him break it.

* * *

Well, it's two in the morning, but I've got another chapter done, so I'm happy, I'd sleep-deprived. And the person I'm rooming with at this college overnight turned out to be a Whovian, Sherlockian, and Potterhead, so that was awesome.

And yes, Beckett gets taken hostage. Le gasp. It took forever to get a suitable reason for why the Daleks were there and needed a ship, but after bouncing some ideas off my Whovian cousin I think I've got a good explanation.

Oh, and the title is a reference to this little song I remember from elementary school, "Five Fat Turksys Are We." Completely random, I know, but my tired brain decided to remind me of it and it fits the idea of the chapter.

Five far turkeys are we

We slept all night in a tree

When the cook came around

We couldn't be found

So that's why we're here you see


	4. Hostage

Beckett was at Twi's side the minute he went down, her mind cooly running through the facts. The shot had seemed more like an electrical shock than anything, so there was no specific wound. She went to check on him, but Felix reached him first. The young man crouched by Twi's side, fingers gently checking his wrist. "He's alive," the man breathed. His amber eyes were wide with horror and fear, but his voice was still calm, and he didn't waver as he took his coat off and folded it under Twi's head.

Beckett quickly positioned herself between the donors and the Dalek that had shot Twi. The two Daleks behind them and the two positioned by the TARDIS still had clear shots on Dowess and Twi, but none of them had moved since the shot had been fired, so Beckett kept her attention on the trembling Dalek.

She could hear Castle's frightened cry of her name from the speakers, but she ignored him and forced herself to focus on the Dalek. The creature was acting very unstable, twitching and shuffling. A very dangerous person to hold a gun. Beckett made her voice as calm as possible as she reasoned, "There's no need to kill anyone here. The Doctor will do what you say, and we won't cause any problems. No one has to die."

The Dalek shuffled uncertainly for a bit before turning back to the security camera. "FIND A SHIP FOR THE DA-LEKS, OR THE COM-PAN-IONS DIE!" the creature screeched. With that, the Dalek by the door raised its plunger to the control panel there. The soft static from the speakers was cut off, leaving silence behind once more. Message over, apparently.

Beckett backed up slowly, keeping herself between the Dalek and Dowess as she crouched beside the fallen Twi. "How is he?" she asked Felix.

A few moments passed before a shaky reply came. "Unconcious, but his heart's steady." Now confident the Dalek wasn't shooting anyone else, Beckett turned her attention to Felix. The silver-haired man had been calm enough when Twi had been shot, but now his amber eyes were wide with fear, and he was trembling slightly. Beckett was struck with just how young he was – by the looks of it, he couldn't be more than twenty. Felix gulped slightly before admitting hoarsely, "I – I've never seen anyone get shot before..." The man's soft voice was a little rougher with fear.

Beckett could see the cat-eyed man was starting to fall to pieces, so she lowered her voice to a more soothing tone. "Felix, look at me."

The wide amber eyes met hers as she continued, "I wasn't honest with you earlier, Felix. I'm not just a friend of Tara's. I'm a cop from a planet far from here. I'm a homicide detective, head of my (squad?), and that man I was with before is my partner. I've been in situations like this before, and I promise you Felix, I'm going to get us all out of here, but I'll need your help."

Felix looked surprised. "My help? Why me?"

"Twi's unconcious, and I don't get the feeling Dowess is going to be much help." The man in question was currently gaping at Twi's unconcious form, face white as a sheet. He'd made no effort to help Felix and Beckett with Twi, and he didn't appear to be hearing their conversation.

Beckett turned back to Felix. "I'm going to need someone here with their head still on their shoulders," she said gently. "You're smart, and you know this planet better than me. I need your help."

After a slightly panicked glance at Twi, Felix took a deep breath. The fearful look in his amber eyes faded a little, and his trembling subsided. "Alright. Anything you need," he said in a calmer tone. He was clearly still scared, but Beckett's words seemed to have calmed him somewhat.

As Beckett turned to look back at the Daleks, she couldn't help but wish she had her real partner with her.

SCENEBREAK

As the Doctor walked away, Castle tried to push the sound of that gunshot out of his head, and the memory of that terrible moment when he'd thought Beckett had been the one who was shot...

He was snapped out of his thoughts by the Doctor's voice. "Alright, so we need to figure out how to get Beckett and the others away from the Daleks without getting anyone killed." The Time Lord was back to his energetic, bouncy self, but there was still that steely look in his eyes. "Wha-what were those _things_?"Violet Dowess's voice had been reduced to a shaky whisper. Her hand was still closed in a vise-like grip on Lewart's shoulder, and she was staring at the now-empty screen with a deathly white face. However, she seemed to regain some of her former fire as she ordered, "I demand you tell us, sir. Those things have my husband! What are they?" The Doctor glared impatiently at the old woman. "Your husband and others have been captured by a species called the Daleks who will very definitely kill every one of us if we don't do something. Any questions?"

There was a dull silence before a new voice spoke. "Yes." Everyone turned to face Lewart, who had freed his shoulder from Violet Dowess's grasp and was straightening his frumpled jacket. "Why don't we just do as these… _Daleks_ tell us and find them a ship?"

"Because the Daleks told us to," the Doctor answered dismissivly.

Lewart glared at the Doctor. Drawing himself up to his full height, the manager sniffed, "Now Doctor, I don't know who the hell you are, but you seem to think you're in charge here. I believe you will find that this is _my_ museum, and that puts me in charge. I say we give these creatures what they want and be in our way."

The Doctor seemed thoroughly exasperated at that point. He leaned down to Lewart's level, getting right up in his face. "Let me explain something. A Dalek at full power is enough to level a large city. Five is enough to take out the whole planet. Your biggest guns couldn't scratch the surface. Send an army after one of them and it'll mow them all down without blinking. You give them a ship, they'll use it to burn this entire planet out of the sky. And since _I'm_ the very clever Time Lord with the sonic screwdriver and the plan, I rather think that puts _me_ in charge."

Something hard and cold blazed in the Time Lord's eyes. The determination mixed with hatred brought to Castle's mind a name he'd heard from Tara earlier. _The Oncoming Storm._

There was something dangerous brewing just under the surface. Castle had only seen the man in the bow-tie as an interesting friend and traveler, if broken inside, but now he could see something of a vengeful god in the ancient Time Lord. Someone who could lay waste to entire races and bring kings and empires tumbling down. Lewart took one look at the dark expression the Doctor wore and snapped his mouth shut.

The Doctor smiled again, but it lacked the usual warmth. "Good." With a sudden burst of energy, he turned back towards the monitors.

A tense silence fell over the donors. They looked to each other with clear fear and confusion, but no one seemed willing to interrupt the Doctor's brooding silence as he scanned the monitors. Finally, however, Fi stepped up, Ki right beside him. "Doctor,"he said with a low, gruff voice that surprised Castle, "is Twi going to be okay?"

The Doctor turned to them with a frown, but he didn't seem angry at them, just thoughtful. "Oh, lots of fun medicine in this century, and if there's nothing here I've got stuff on the TARDIS," he answered with forced cheerfulness. "But do you know what? I've been fighting the Daleks a long time, me, seen a lot of the universe. But you know what I've never seen? Someone survive being shot by a Dalek at point blank range."

The Time Lord began to pace around the room, anticipation and ideas giving him energy. "Something's wrong. Daleks travel in fleets. When they're alone, it usually means they're on a mission of some sort. But these Daleks don't seem to have a plan beyond taking hostages."

Castle spoke up, forcing his worries about Beckett to the back of his mind. "They must have been trapped here somehow. Why else would they need a ship?"

The Doctor nodded appreciatively. "Yes! So! Daleks that have been separated from the fleet, stranded on an unknown planet, damaged." His frown began to fade, slowly being replaced by a thrilled grin as he realized, "They're weak. Twi survived because their guns are damaged."

Hope tightened in Castle's chest for a moment. "So does that mean they can't kill?"

The Doctor gave a small, bitter laugh. "If there's one thing a Dalek will always be able to do, it's kill." He looked sadly at Castle. "No, they're not so wounded as that, and there's five of them."

Castle's heart clenched in fear. "So Beckett's still in danger," he said quietly.

He hadn't even intended for anyone to hear him, but the Doctor replied grimly, "Don't worry. As long as they need me, they won't harm Beckett."

"How do you know?" Castle asked, half surprised, half desperate.

There was something bitter in the Time Lord's eyes as he answered, "Because they know me. And they know how I am about my companions." He gave the writer a small smile.

Castle felt a chill run through his spine at what the Doctor seemed to be hinting at, but at the same time he couldn't help but smile at the thought that the Doctor cared about them that much, that the Daleks wouldn't dare to hurt either of them for fear of angering him. They'd only known the Time Lord for a few days, but those had been an extraordinary few days, and dangerous times sometimes create fast friendships. He returned the Doctor's smile for a moment before his stomach clenched again as he remembered the danger Beckett was in.

The Doctor suddenly whirled around from the screens and bounded towards the doors. "Well, we're not getting anything done in here, and the Daleks know we're in here. We better move." Without further explanation he started off into the hallway, leaving the stunned donors behind.

Lewart muttered under his breath, "The man is mad." Castle threw him a quick glare, and he fell silent again.

Violet Dowess took a few uncertain steps towards Castle, her expression caught between haughty pride and hesitation. "Does that Doctor know what he's doing?" she asked quietly.

Without hesitating, Castle gave a firm nod. "Absolutely."

Violet Dowess nodded to herself for a moment before straightening once again, the haughtiness back. "Better follow him then, I suppose." She swept out of the room, soon followed by Fi and Ki. Lewart hesitated before finally following, muttering darkly, leaving Castle and Tara to bring up the rear. Castle gave the empty screen a final look before they left the room.

As the small group wandered through the halls, Castle tried to fight the mounting fear for his partner. He knew logically that Beckett had been in dangerous situations before and they'd always gotten through them. But somehow, this was different than ever before. For one, he wasn't there with her. He knew he always felt safer when he had his partner watching his back, and even if it had taken her forever to admit it, so did she.

There was also the unusual feeling of helplessness. They were stranded on a completely unknown planet with an unfamiliar culture, no way of fitting in or hiding, no way to know how or where to escape, no weapons, and no way of getting home except one little box, which they currently didn't have. If they couldn't get the TARDIS back, they were well and truly trapped.

Oddly enough, Castle wasn't as worried about her captors being Daleks rather than humans. Guns were guns, criminals were criminals. These Daleks may be a race of genius, racist killing machines, but the one shot Castle'd seen fired had shown him that these Daleks weren't any more deadly than a human behind a gun. There were criminals they'd faced before who'd been just as hateful, just as impossible to bargain with or sway. They could be defeated, just like anyone else.

The writer nearly jumped when a voice sounded behind him. "Mind if I walk with you?" He turned to see Tara following behind him, the earlier fear she had shown at Twi being shot replaced by calm confidence. Castle was impressed by her rapid change of manner.

With a shrug he answered, "Sure."

The Silurian came to walk to his side, and for a few moments neither spoke. It was Tara who finally broke the silence. "She's going to be fine."

Castle blinked at her in surprise. "Huh?"

The sheriff as giving him a sympathetic smile, her pale eyes somehow understanding. "Beckett. I know you're worried for her, but I'm sure she'll be fine. I talked to her earlier, and she's tough. She'll get them through it." Tara smiled. "She seems like a really good cop."

Something seemed to get caught in his throat for a moment. So many memories of cases and late nights working flashed through his mind. He had to wait a few moments before he could answer. "Yeah. Yeah, she is. She's the best cop I know." The writer smiled as he thought about the brilliant, stubborn detective. "She doesn't let anything come between her and a case. She just attacks it with everything she has, you know? She doesn't back down."

Tara listened to his description of Beckett with a knowing and slightly wistful smile. "I almost wish I had a job more like that," she admitted. "Being able to help more people. I've got my hands full here, true, but it's mostly domestic stuff. I'm not really making a difference like you and Beckett, solving all those murders." She was silent for a few moments, lost in her thoughts, before shaking her head. "But at the same time, this is home, and I don't think I could ever leave."

Castle thought sadly of his flat in New York, where Martha and Alexis were probably wondering where he'd gotten to, and replied quietly, "I know what you mean."

Tara seemed to realize that she'd brought up something painful, because she didn't continue the conversation. When she did speak again, it was in a quiet, serious tone. "I'm not your partner Castle. I've never dealt with something this big before. I know that I'm not as experienced as you or Detective Beckett with dangerous situations. But I _am_ a cop. It's my job to look after anyone who comes into my town, and that's what I intend to do. I'll help you do whatever it takes to stop the Daleks and get Detective Beckett back."

Castle looked at the sheriff in surprise. He had liked her well enough before, but he hadn't really had a chance to talk to her much. Now he found himself re-evaluating her. She didn't seem nearly as hardened or single-minded as Beckett, but that same determination rang through in her promise. She still seemed scared of the Daleks, and she clearly wasn't as experienced with danger, but she was determined to do what had to be done.

What Castle appreciated the most was that she wasn't informing him that she, as a cop, would save her. She was offering to help alongside him. Tara was acknowledging Castle as a cop in his own right, and was offering her help, not parading her authority.

He gave her a warm smile. "Thank you, Sheriff," he said solemnly.

The Silurian smiled. "No problem."

SCENEBREAK

Beckett listened apprehensively as one of the Daleks approached the one that had shot Twi. "THE AREA IS TOP EX-POSED. NEED EN-CLOSED AREA TO KEEP THE PRI-SO-NERS."

The Dalek that had shot Twi seemed to agree. "IN-SIDE THE BUIL-DING." It turned to Beckett and the other hostages. "IN-SIDE! IN-SIDE!" it ordered insistently.

Beckett slowly turned, conscious of the Daleks' guns trained on her unprotected back, and helped Felix to lift the unconscious Twi. He was light enough that the two of them could carry him easily, so once they had him secure, they started off towards the museum.

The hostages entered the building in silence, the Daleks following. No one dared speak. Two of the Daleks rolled along towards the front of the group while the Dalek that had shot Twi brought up the rear. Two had been left outside to guard the TARDIS, apparently. The aliens surrounded the hostages with military precision, and the cold metal exterior made them completely expressionless. There wasn't any face to read, just a smooth metal head and an eyestalk. Soldiers with no faces. Beckett was left floundering with nothing to read, and couldn't help but feel apprehension at such cold-seeming killers. The Dalek had shot at Dowess in anger, and didn't even seem to care where its shot had hit.

The Daleks led them further and further into the museum, not seeming to have any destination in mind, but they finally stopped by what looked like a storage closet. "THIS WILL SU-FFICE," Twi's shooter, who seemed to be the lead Dalek, said abruptly. It advanced threateningly towards the hostages, gun shifting slightly. "IN-SIDE! IN-SIDE!" Beckett nodded, concious of Felix stiffening fearfully. "Alright. Give us a second," she requested calmly. She and Felix waited as Dowess opened the door for them, then the two of them worked together to carry Twi in. They set him down gently on the ground, Felix and Beckett quickly sacrificing their jackets to give him a suitable headrest. The room was small, a little larger than the TARDIS appeared from the outside, with a low ceiling only a foot or two above their heads. It was dusty inside, probably unused for some time, with a few shelves and some cleaning equipment inside. A janitor's closet, by the looks of it.

And for now, it was their prison.

* * *

Urgh, it's midnight and I've got a show tomorrow so I really don't know what the hell I'm still doing up, but here's a new chapter! I'm sorry for the delay, but I've had rehearsal for my upcoming skating show all this week plus laying out the next edition of the school newspaper, so I've been insanely busy. And yet I managed to finish this. *shrugs*


End file.
